Turning Heartbeats into Radiance

A submission for the weekly short-short note project

Foreword

In the world of ballet, it is not always just the lead who shines. There are those who pour their own light unsparingly to illuminate someone else. This is the story of a girl who believes in such "heartbeats."

Body

Turning heartbeats into radiance. Today is the day the lead role is announced.

Michiko had practiced until her feet bled. Everyone else had worked just as hard. However, Michiko had a reason why she absolutely had to be chosen as the lead.

This performance would be filmed by television cameras and broadcast. She wanted her grandmother, who lived in the countryside, to see it. Her precious grandmother, who had raised Michiko after she lost her parents at a young age.

—The lead role announcement. The name the director read out was "Hikari."

Michiko let her shoulders slump. Her role was that of Hikari's rival. But it was an important role, standing right alongside the lead.

"Hikari, you are perfect for the lead. It's frustrating, but I acknowledge it." Michiko smiled quietly.

And she whispered in her heart: —While making Hikari shine, I will also turn my own heartbeats into radiance and do my best.

Wearing the handmade, heartbeat-filled toe shoes from her grandmother. (348 characters)

Afterword

Dreams do not end just because they are not fulfilled. The power to make someone else shine is also born from the "heartbeats" within oneself. People like Michiko, who can turn their efforts into light, will surely become the lead on their own stage someday. *This story is fiction.

I wrote this for the weekly short-short note prompt. Thank you for the prompt.